


Don't Wait Up for Me, I've Got a Restless Mind

by chocobee



Series: Whumptober 2018 [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Anxiety, Cuddling & Snuggling, Exhaustion, Gen, Insomnia, Sleep Deprivation, Whump, Whumptober 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-08-05 17:43:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16372169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chocobee/pseuds/chocobee
Summary: They lost Insomnia a little over a week ago, and Prompto hasn't gotten a full night’s rest since.Day 3: Insomnia





	Don't Wait Up for Me, I've Got a Restless Mind

**Author's Note:**

> So October is officially over and I only managed to get two of these done. Between school and a ton of personal things happening, last month really kicked my ass. Sorry I wasn't able to get more out; I'm still pretty set on finishing these up even if they're horribly late. Thanks to everyone for being so understanding, and thank you guys for all the comments and kudos you've been leaving, each and every one means so much to me <3
> 
> For some reason I had a ton of trouble with this one, and I'm not really happy with how it turned out at all, but I finally got it finished and I'm just posting it so I can starting working on the rest. I have ideas written out for majority of the rest of the prompts, so I'm really hoping it's smooth sailing from here and I can find a bit more time to work on them.
> 
> Because I'm unoriginal and can't make my own titles, the title is lyrics from Don't Wait Up by Robert DeLong.

Prompto has always envied Noct’s ability to practically fall asleep anywhere and anytime, now more so than ever.

It’s been a little over a week since they lost Insomnia, and Prompto hasn't gotten any decent sleep since.

It’s mostly due to his anxiety, he thinks, since it’s been through the roof as of late. But then the lack of sleep only makes his anxiety worse, so he feels like he’s stuck in one giant, awful loop. More often than not he spends the night staring blankly up at the ceiling of the tent and running scenarios through his head while his friends sleep beside him.

They don't exactly sleep soundly - Prompto’s usually awake to hear them in the throes of nightmares, to hear Gladio grunting in his sleep and Ignis gasping himself awake, fumbling to check on the three of them, and Noct mumbling brokenly for his father - and Prompto’s not exactly sure he has it worse than them. Sure, whenever he manages to get some sleep, he has nightmares, too, but they’re really not anything new. He’s been dreaming of cold laboratories that seem familiar in a way he can’t quite put his finger on for as long as he can remember.

So he doesn’t bother anyone with it, because they’re all having problems. Besides, he’s had anxiety for his entire life, and insomnia has never been too far behind. He's handled it before, so he can handle it again.

He can still shoot, and that's the most important thing. He can still be useful.

Instead he chugs along, trying to keep everyone’s spirits up enough so that they can chug right along with him, but it’s slowly getting harder to keep the act up with anxiety and sleep-deprivation eating away at him. If Ignis notices that some of his ebony has disappeared, he doesn’t say anything about it. Days blur together, and Prompto spends endless nights curled up in his sleeping bag, a million thoughts buzzing through his head.

What are they supposed to do now? They're practically fugitives, with the Empire hunting them down. What would happen if they got caught? They’re all on their own out here, and anything could happen. Prompto’s mind spirals with all the possibilities, each one that much worse than the last.

They pick up a hunt to earn some extra cash for a motel room, since Noct had mentioned his back was starting to bother him a little bit from all the camping they’ve been doing. It should be easy, just a small pack of sabertusks. Prompto zones out for the entirety of the ride there, lost in thought.

“Coming, Prompto?” Ignis asks, sounding only mildly annoyed, and Prompto suddenly realizes that they’re all out of the car already. Ignis stares at him with one eyebrow raised.

Prompto rushes to follow them, stumbling a little as he mumbles an apology. Ignis frowns, but doesn’t say anything. Noct is already rushing headlong into the battle, Gladio close behind, so Ignis hurries after them.

Prompto jogs to catch up to them, summoning his gun and getting into a position where he’s mostly out of the way. He quickly begins picking off straggles and trying to cripple as many sabertusks as he can to make things easier for the rest of the guys.

A sudden wave of dizziness makes Prompto stumble, and he misses his mark, and then everything is going dark and the ground is abruptly rushing up to meet him.

When he manages to pry his eyes open, Ignis’ face is taking up majority of his vision, haloed by the too-bright sun behind him. “Prompto?” he questions. “Are you alright?”

Prompto tries to sit up, but his body feels heavy, and his head is pounding. Ignis helps him out when it’s clear he’s struggling. “What happened?” Prompto asks.

Ignis glances somewhere behind Prompto - to Noct or Gladio, he guesses - then looks back to him. “We were hoping you could tell us. Were you hit?”

“Uh,” Prompto says, blinking heavily at Ignis, “I don't think so?” He feels like he’s underwater.

Ignis’ eyes pinch in worry. “Are you feeling alright?” he asks, pressing a warm hand against Prompto’s forehead.

Prompto closes his eyes and leans into the touch. “‘M tired,” he mumbles.

“You look exhausted,” Ignis says. “When we the last time you slept?”

“Dunno,” Prompto tells him. “Before everything, I guess.” Ignis takes his hand away and Prompto blinks again, seeming to come back to himself a little bit, then pushes away from Ignis and makes an attempt to stand. “Sorry, I’ll do better. I can still fight, I won't mess up again.”

As soon as he stands on wobbly legs, he pitches to the side. “Woah,” Gladio says, easily catching him and saving him from hitting the ground for a second time, “easy.”

Prompto weakly struggles against him. “‘M fine,” he insists.

Noct scoffs, “Clearly,” as they watch him quickly tire out and slump against Gladio in defeat.

Ignis crosses his arms, looks Prompto up and down, and then says, “Why don't we head back and rest up?”

“Good idea,” Gladio agrees, large hand curled around Prompto’s bicep to keep him standing.

“It’s still so early,” Prompto protests, “we don’t have to.”

“Prompto, you look like you're about to pass out,” Noct says, tone giving no room for argument. “You  _ already  _ passed out. It’s fine if we take it easy for a little while.”

Ignis hums in agreement. “I’m sure we could all use the rest.”

“I  _ can’t,”  _ Prompto says. “We don't have to go back for me, I won't be able to sleep anyways.”

“You can at least lay down for awhile,” Ignis says, trying to calm Prompto before he can get any more agitated.

Prompto gives in, if only because he’s too tired to argue. Gladio passes him off to Noct, who tosses one of Prompto’s arms over his shoulders so he can support most of his weight. Prompto wants to protest, but he’s still feeling so dizzy that he doubts he could make it to the car on his own, and this is much less humiliating than being carried by Gladio, so he just shuffles along with Noct in silence.

Prompto’s not sure how long it takes to get back - one moment he’s in the car, and then he blinks and he’s suddenly sitting on a bed, watching blearily as Ignis heads over to the room’s coffee-maker. “I’ll make us some tea,” he says, filling the pot up with water and leaving it to boil.

Gladio dumps some clothes in his lap, and Prompto sluggishly changes into them - a pair of sweatpants and one of Gladio’s hoodies, the one that both Noct and Prompto steal on a regular basis, because it’s so incredibly warm and cozy and soft.

By the time they all change into more comfortable clothes, the water is done boiling, and Ignis busies himself with making four cups of tea. Prompto and Noct lounge on one of the beds, shoulders pressed together, while Gladio goes to help Ignis.

Despite everything being relatively calm at the moment, Prompto can't ignore the anxiety twisting in his gut. They must be mad, since he’d just ruined the entire day’s plans. Now they’re spending all this valuable time catering to his selfish needs instead of doing something more important, all because he’s  _ tired. _ Prompto can vaguely hear Noct talking to him, but it sounds so muffled to Prompto that he can't pick out the words.

“Here,” Ignis says, snapping Prompto out of his thoughts. He’s holding a mug out. Prompto reaches up to grab it, but his hands are shaking with some combination of anxiety and exhaustion, so he quickly drops them back into his lap, trying to hide it even though he knows Ignis has already seen.

Eyes downcast, he says, “Can you just put it down on the table for now?”

Ignis does so. “It should help with both your insomnia and anxiety,” he explains. He regards Prompto for a moment, then asks, “Have you been taking your medication, Prompto?”

Prompto frowns. He had been, hadn't he? But now that he’s thinking about it, he doesn't remember - everything’s been such a blur lately, he doesn't remember much of anything, but it’s probably pretty clear that he hasn’t been. “I don't know,” he admits. “I don't remember.”

Ignis sighs, and Prompto’s stomach tightens, because he’s made Ignis mad again. “Sorry,” he mumbles.

“It’s alright,” Ignis reassures. He stoops to snatch Prompto’s bag from the floor, and Prompto watches him dig through the front pocket until he finds the right pill bottle. His anxiety medication won’t magically fix the problem, but it will at least help him relax a bit. He puts the pill in his mouth and swallows it down with some of the tea. Ignis makes him drink the rest of it, though by the time he’s finished, everyone else’s mugs are all set neatly on the counter, empty some time ago.

Then Ignis makes him lay down and quite literally tucks him into bed. “Try to get some rest,” he says softly, and then Prompto closes his eyes and the room goes silent.

To his credit, Prompto does try. He lays on his back and tries to quiet his brain into thinking about nothing. The familiar buzz of anxiety is dulled but still there, and he can't stop running though what-ifs in his head. Noct’s still lounging against the headboard next to him, playing on his phone. Eventually Prompto gives up and turns to bury his face into Noct’s hip with a groan. “I  _ can't,” _ he says, muffled.

He feels Noct run a comforting hand through his hair, and he practically melts into the touch. Then the bed dips as Ignis sits next to the pair. “Is there anything we can do?” Ignis asks. “Just tell us what you need.”

Prompto doesn't roll away from Noct, doesn't want him to stop playing with his hair. “I need my stupid brain to  _ turn off,”  _ he answers honestly, clearly frustrated. He feels so exhausted, so why can't he sleep?

Ignis makes a contemplating noise. Noct pulls his hand away, then shimmies down until he’s laying next to Prompto. He feels Ignis get up, only to reappear on the other side of the bed, behind Noct, and then the bed creaks as both him and Gladio climb in beside them. Gladio slings an arm around Prompto’s middle and pulls him close to his chest. He’s forced to readjust the hold when Noct latches onto Prompto and therefore Gladio by proxy - he’s got an arm snaked around Prompto’s shoulders and a leg slung over both Prompto’s and Gladio’s. Ignis shifts a bit closer on Noct’s other side, throwing a slender arm over all three of them.

Prompto’s body immediately sags in their holds, eyes slipping closed. He realizes  _ this  _ is what he’d needed - the comforting weight and warmth of his friends around him makes him  to make him feel safe and grounded. Whatever happens, at least they’re still right here with him, and that’s all that really matters.

“Th’nks, guys,” he manages to slur, nearly asleep already.

Ignis cards a gentle hand through his hair. “Get some rest, Prompto,” he murmurs.

Noct’s eyes are already drooping, but he manages to stay awake until Prompto’s breathing evens out - and it doesn't take long for the exhaustion to win over, really. Noct’s not far behind him.

Ignis and Gladio murmur quietly to each other for a few minutes, until Noct weakly slaps at the arm Ignis has over him and shushes them. “Go t’sleep,” he says.

“Yeah, yeah,” Gladio grumbles softly, resting his chin atop Prompto’s head and letting his eyes close.

Ignis smiles fondly at the scene, and waits for them all to fall asleep first before closing his eyes to join them.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Comments and kudos are always appreciated!
> 
> Find me on [tumblr](http://k-ovic.tumblr.com/) and [twitter.](https://twitter.com/choco_bee_) Follow for updates, and DMs are always open, so feel free to chat :)


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